Beauty in the beast
by Goki Henjin
Summary: -"To phantom days, dog fights and our ships" Leon rose the glass as Falco smirked and mimicked the chameleon's action, toasting with his rival and chugging down the whisky in one gulp.- Leon and Falco have secret meetings so they can remember their past together and escape reality, but things go in an unexpected way, complicating their relationship even more. Leon X Falco.
1. We weren't always rivals

**Chapter 1. We weren't always rivals**

Used to the countless stares at his person, he walked by the empty streets of that rotten neighborhood. The humid stench of dirt and filth was everywhere, prostitutes and gangs were roaming about the place, but he stood out, walking almost gracefully with a serene expression, yellow eyes looking straight ahead without faltering due to the constant cat calls he was receiving.

"He thinks he's so mighty, just because he has a pretty face, I'll show him who's boss around this place!" a drugged man stood up from the sidewalk but was pulled back by one of his friends.

"Stop, you've no idea who that is, right?! You'll get yourself killed, idiot!"

"I'm not scared of that little princess!" he pushed the other away and walked straight towards the mysterious man. He grabbed the lithe man by the collar of his coat and pulled him close.

"Do you know what we do to bitches like you in this place, huh?!"

The other's expression didn't change, he stared into the drugged dog expressionless, yellow eyes glowing under the night, nonetheless, his gaze was cold and piercing it sent shivers down the offender's spine.

"Get your filthy hands off me" the man said expressionless, yet the ice on his voice made the other put him down and step back. The yellow eyed chameleon gave a last glare as he continued walking along his path, as if nothing had happened.

"I told you! You're lucky you are still alive!" the raccoon boy approached his friend, who was still staring in shock at the leaving man.

"Those eyes...he has the eyes of a murderer" the dog swallowed slowly, still shaking.

"That was Leon Powalski"

"W-what? You mean the assassin?!"

"Yes, he's well known in the 'underworld' that's why the territorial gangs haven't bothered with him, they know they have no chance...anyways it's odd when he visits here, he usually is at Sargasso with Star Wolf, or so I've heard"

Leon had walked away from that place, arriving to an underground bar, stepping inside, sitting on the table in the far right corner. That was their place, when they met, that was their table, in this rotten place where they were protected by its 'badness'.

He always arrived before the established time, at least 15 minutes early, it was important to be the first one there; he was like that in everything, bordering OCD. He lighted a cigarette and waved for the cheetah waiter over, ordering two glasses of whisky on the rocks upon arrival of his partner. The waiter nodded and walked away to the bar stool, while Leon took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled it softly, entertained by the gentle swirling of the smoke floating in the air, it was relaxing and it was better like that, the other was too volatile so there was a high chance they would not have a moment of peace anyways, so why not relax now?

"Early as always, Leon"

A smile on the chameleon's face, he took another drag and exhaled. "You know me, Lombardi"

"Yes and you know I don't like smoke" Falco took the cigarette from Leon's hand and put it off on the table, dragging a seat and sitting down in front of him.

"You never change, do you?" Leon didn't seem bothered by this, he was actually expecting it to happen, Falco wasn't fond of smoking, anyways.

"You should change, at least quit the smoking"

"I don't do it often, just from time to time" Leon shrugged as the waiter walked in with their drinks, placing them on the table and left.

"I see you already ordered, how did you know I wanted whisky?" Falco asked, lifting his glass and taking a sip.

"I assumed so, the times we've met we always order whisky, anyways. When we lived together I discovered you had a secret stash of whisky, good thing the gang never found out, or they would have bitched you everyday about it" Leon smiled, swirling the whisky gently, entertained by it.

Falco leaned back on his seat and closed his eyes. He remembered as if it were yesterday, they were so young, he probably was 15 years old when he was walking around an abandoned neighborhood and found the chameleon sitting down on the sidewalk in the middle of the rain, with a blank expression, tattered clothes and trembling under the cold rain.

"_What are you doing out here?" Falco asked, curiously._

_Leon turned his head up, his eyes were swollen and red, now that he was closer to the chameleon, he could see he was deeply malnourished, but what caught his attention the most was the blood on his clothes and hands. Leon didn't reply, he just looked down, as if expecting the other to leave._

"_Are you all right? Hey, come on, my place is nearby, you should stay until the rain is over at least"_

_Leon looked now directly to Falco, surprised at his words, he looked afraid, like a cornered animal that could attack or flee, but his body was so weak, he couldn't do any of those. _

"_Please leave" were the only words he managed to say. _

"_But you look like you need help, man"_

"_Leave" Leon hugged his legs together, curling his tail around him almost protectively. Falco sighed and handed his umbrella. "At least take this" he placed it near Leon so it was covering him and continued walking._

_Leon stared at the umbrella, he clenched his teeth and covered himself with it, deeply irritated by what he was doing. As soon as the rain was over, he managed to stand up with a lot of difficulty and headed towards were Falco had walked. He was a good tracker and it took him just 10 minutes to figure out where the other had gone, to an abandoned apartment complex, the footsteps were still fresh thanks to the rain. He knocked on the door loudly for several times. _

"_Geez Laweez! What the fuck is your problem, you punk?!" Falco opened the door to find a very angry Leon, handing the umbrella back to him._

"_I need no one's pity" he hissed dangerously while Falco snatched the umbrella away._

"_What the heck is your problem, you psycho! I was just trying to fucking help you and you come here and act like a total bitch about it?! No wonder why you're a walking skeleton with blood all over him, someone probably punched you because you deserved it, prick!"_

_Leon just glared at him, biting his lower lip so hard a trail of blood fell to the floor, Falco's eyes widened at this, thinking the other probably was a madman that escaped from some mental asylum or something of the sort._

"_You should not involve yourself with me" were his last words as he walked away, but his body was so spent he tripped down the stairs, losing consciousness at the bottom of them. Falco's jaw dropped, what was he supposed to do now? It wasn't his business, he could just go away, he should just return to his apartment and that was it. But he couldn't. He hated feeling the need to help the other, he hated it with all his guts as he walked downstairs and carried Leon quite easily, bringing him in to his place._

"It was fun at the beginning" Falco chuckled. "We used to get in trouble often…not that you don't do now, you became a master at it, Powalski"

"Well, what did you expect" Leon smiled. "How are things on your side? More work from old Pepper?"

"Should I even be telling you that?" Falco smirked.

Leon shrugged. "Just asking, I don't mean anything by it, I don't mind telling you about my missions, not when we're here, in this place"

Falco nodded slowly. "Yes, when we're here…it doesn't matter"

They always met in that place at least twice a year. It was a secret from their team members, but it was just a small reunion, just to talk, relax...it was something they started when they accidentally met in that place once, they had just sat one beside the other and talked for a long time. It had been relaxing, and they agreed to meet there some other time. And they were always there when they arranged a meeting, always on time, it was a strange rivalry, but they found out they understood each other, plus they had a past together and sometimes it was fun for them to reminiscence about it.

Leon sipped on his whisky and continued swirling it after he was done. "We have to kill some fugitive that some governor wants dead...but this job is for myself, I don't think Wolf will be interested in pursuing a single man, but the client is offering good money, so I took it. I like solo missions sometimes, help me think and relax"

"But you always return to Wolf, don't you? I have gone solo for a long time, yet you do missions and come back, don't you want to taste how being a lone space mercenary feels like, sometimes?"

Leon smiled at Falco and looked at his drink. "I like working with Wolf...he's an amazing leader, to be honest...I'm the kind of guy that needs a small push to soar high…I'd never leave the team…for a while it was just Wolf and me, it was fun"

Falco crossed his arms. How those two became friends, he had no idea and trying to imagine it was difficult. Nonetheless, how they became 'friends' had been even weirder.

_He opened his eyes slowly, all his body ached, so it took him a lot of time to sit down on a…bed. He blinked and looked around in confusion. He was in a small room, a bit messy, his tattered clothes were gone and replaced by bandages around his scars, which stung badly. _

"_Finally, you're awake" Falco was leaning on the doorframe with arms crossed. "I got rid of those clothes, no use washing them, you can borrow mine…and sorry but had to put alcohol on those scars, dude they looked horrible, what the fuck where you doing?" _

""_Why?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Why did you help me?"_

"_That's a good question. I wasn't so sure myself either, but I just couldn't let you out there, dying on the stairs"_

"_Stairs? I fell down?"_

"_Yup, you have bandages on your head as well, try not to move too much"_

_Leon looked down, why would anyone help him? After all the hell he had withstood, after all that suffering, that nightmare...was it about to end? But there he was, alone again, lonelier than ever, with no one in the whole universe, was living like that even living at all? He felt no motivation, no desire for anything..._

"_You shouldn't have bothered with me..."_

_"Why do you keep saying that?"_

"_I have nothing at all"_

_Falco's expression softened a bit as he turned aside. "I was alone as well, but I have managed to go on, and it's working. I've got some friends, you'll like them, they're like us as well, unfortunate ones without a home, that's why we live in these abandoned neighborhood" he smiled slightly, trying to cheer up the chameleon. _

_Leon looked down and sighed deeply. "I don't really have the motivation to try anything..."_

"_Why? What happened?"_

"_I'd rather not talk about it"_

"_All right, I won't force you, you can stay here 'till you're feeling better...what's your name?"_

"…_Leon. Leon Powalski"_

"_Powalski? Interesting last name, I'm Falco Lombardi"_

"Well, don't you dare die in any of those missions, you're my rival, I really am looking forward to meet you on flight, Leon" Falco took a deep gulp from his glass now, reminiscing always made him nostalgic and sometimes melancholic.

Leon chuckled softly. "As if, my dear Falco, I've taken assassin jobs since I was a child...I'm a pro, I'll never go down that way...if I ever go down, I want it to be in the greatest fight, in my ship...probably against you"

Falco's eyes widened at this words. "Leon, are you feeling all right? That is not like you at all..."

Leon finished his whisky glass and placed it away. "I know, I just wondered, not that it will happen, you're too hot headed for that, anyways, still an amazing pilot, I admit"

"You're too a great pilot"

"I was wondering, Falco…"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to visit...that place?"

"That place?"

"The one you're thinking about right now"

"…my old apartment? How did you-"

"It's obvious, your expression gives you out, I know how to read that...and I'm feeling nostalgic as well, to be honest..."

"It's a bit far away, I don't know if the others will worry"

"You've disappeared from their team for 4 years, I doubt a couple of days will throw them off balance, I doubt you'll get in trouble"

"What about you? It's a day travel to that place, won't Wolf ask you anything?"

"No, he won't, he knows my business is my own, he respects that and I respect him"

Falco tapped his fingers on the table lightly as he sighed deeply. "Traveling in your Wolfen will give you out"

"I have a Cornerian fighter, I'm not stupid, dear Falco"

"Should've figured...all right, count me in"

Both men left the payment on the table as they strolled down the dark alley, where the low lives of the streets starting the cat calling again. The same drugged man approached them and grabbed Leon's arm abruptly.

"You're Powalski! You really are! I imagined you'd be much scarier but you've got a pretty face" the man grinned as Leon slid a scalpel from his pocket but before he could strike at the man's throat, Falco punched him on the face with a hard blow.

"Fuck off, prick!" he growled as Leon stared slightly surprised.

The man fell down and stumbled away. Leon turned to see Falco's blue eyes, which were staring back at him.

"You shouldn't have bothered"

"…where have I heard that before?"

"I can take care of myself, Falco"

"I did it for the guy, you were going to slit his throat"

"He deserved it"

"Maybe, but I don't really like death and gore...let's get going, Leon"

Leon didn't protest to that and continued walking side by side with the avian, deep in thought. They were rivals, they had tried to kill each other, and yet Falco kept trying to help him sometimes. The blue bird wasn't as tough and selfish as he appeared to be, Leon would know better. But those camaraderie moments wouldn't change anything, they would keep fighting, they would keep trying to kill each other, and Leon wouldn't want it any other way. The type of 'friendship' they had was unique and just what he needed. He smiled slightly.

"Falco...when I take you down, I'll keep coming here once a year in honor of our meetings, drink a glass of whisky and cheer for a great fight"

Falco scoffed and chuckled slightly. "Always the sadistic gentleman, Powalski. But I'll be the one to be chugging down the cups while thinking on all the pain in the ass you gave me in our battles...who knows, maybe even visit your grave, if there is one"

It was Leon's turn to laugh now. "I don't have a past, there are no records of my life in the universe, I plan to go like that as well...like a smooth silent hurricane that struck down cities, driving beautiful chaos from the least entropic parts and guiding it as an orchestra, before disappearing into eternity, leaving a mark of my terrible power, a mark everyone would remember and respect"

Falco frowned and shuddered slightly. "When I met you, you were cuckoo but now you're a total lunatic"

"I doubt the changes on the moon have anything to do with my sanity"

"Smartass"

"Silly bird"

Falco shrugged slightly. "Meet you at the first aerial sign post" he turned on his heels and strolled towards the parking lot where his Arwing was. After taking off he hovered in the designated place, the Cornerian fighter appearing 5 minutes later next to him. Falco smirked at Leon who smirked back at him and they both took off towards their destination.

The place was surprisingly neat, a bit dusty but not bad at all, for an abandoned apartment in a shady neighborhood it was quite rare. Falco blinked, inspecting his old crib, it looked exactly the same as those old times, the sofa still had the exact cushions as before, the solar powered fan creaked while it spun, a sweet vanilla smell hovered around the place, even if it was dark and look a bit eerie it was, strangely comfortable and cozy. Falco walked to his room, opening the door slowly, the bed was neatly done, some old clothes abandoned on a nearby chair, but folded carefully on it, the vanilla scent stronger in that place.

"I don't understand…this place was a mess last time I came here" he rubbed the back of his head in wonder. Then he turned to see Leon, jaw dropping slightly. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Leon smiled softly at Falco. "Well, I had wanted to visit this place with you for a while, I didn't want it to be a sty…so I cleaned up a bit…but the dust has no remedy"

"Wow...still you did a great job, you practically reconstructed this place...I came a year ago and it was a mess"

"Yes it was" he walked towards Falco's closet, opening it, a smile on his face. "Got a little present for you"

"My whisky! Where did you get the brand? It was discontinued!" Falco hurried next to Leon, taking out a bottle and inspecting it, a wide smile on his face.

"I have my means, Falco…wasn't too easy though" Leon sat down on the bed, the mattress wasn't the best, but it wasn't that bad. He eyed the avian hug the bottle fondly and chuckled. Those little moments were fun, a surreal aspect of his chaotic life, a side story, an alternate universe...it was refreshing once in a while.

Falco turned to see Leon, the night light entering through the blinds, falling on the light green skin of Leon's face, skin glowing, yellow eyes staring right back at him. He looked ethereal, as the whole situation...for a moment he was scared, but for the first time Leon's gaze wasn't cold, but nostalgic…melancholic, longing…he felt exactly the same as he walked and threw himself next to Leon, looking at the ceiling, bottle in one hand. After a minute of comfortable silence Falco smirked. "Let's continue with our drinking, Powalski"

Leon smiled as he stood up and hurried to the small kitchen, taking two glasses and strolling back, sitting next to Falco. He took the bottle from Falco and poured a generous amount on both glasses.

"To phantom days, dog fights and our ships" Leon rose the glass as Falco smirked and mimicked the chameleon's action, toasting with his rival and chugging down the whisky in one gulp. Leon noticed this and now it was his turn to imitate the bird, seeing it as some sort of competition.

"You want on, little chameleon?!" Falco cackled, pouring more of the single malt alcohol on both their glasses. "Don't blame me when you pass out hugging the toilet, Powalski!"

Leon smiled. "We'll see about that, Falco, we'll see"

They drank from their glasses, Falco smiled. "Good stuff this is, yup…hey, how was your life after the Lylat wars, I mean…since Andross died and all that"

"I believe you've asked me that before, Andross paid us beforehand, so that was that, I don't really care if he died or not, to be honest" Leon shrugged. "How about you? Heard you got loaded from that mission"

Falco snickered. "We did, but we had to pay for the Great Fox…but we fared well...not that we have much now and peace ain't really helping"

"Maybe I should start some chaos to get you back on track, underground mercenary missions are always available, but I doubt McCloud or you would like to meddle in those types of affairs"

Falco shook his head. "Nop, government jobs pay the most, plus everyone treats you like a hero, it's kind of cool and a bit annoying"

"Very annoying, I wouldn't stand the news cast outside my place at all…"

Falco finished his second glass and served himself some more, refilling Leon's glass as well. "Yeah, good thing we're out in space, so it's not a big problem"

Third glass of whisky chugged down in less than two minutes. His fingers were starting to feel tingly, he eyed Leon who sipped on his third glass as well, calmly, enjoying the drink.

"Don't waste the drink, Lombardi, it was a bitch getting it. Swirl it in your mouth, you can actually taste the smoked accent"

"It's mine, isn't it? I drink it as I want! I'm enjoying it all right!" Falco drank from the bottle to state his point, staring at Leon who just stared back for some seconds and then chuckled.

"You're such a kid"

"You're more!"

"How come? I'm not the one dying to get drunk"

"You challenged me!"

"That doesn't mean I have to drink my glass in 10 seconds"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"It does, and you're being a kid"

"Am not!"

"Are too"

"Shut up and drink!" Falco shoved the bottle on Leon's mouth, lifting the bottle so the liquid ran down the chameleon's throat, yellow eyes wide open as he stared at Falco, he drank because he didn't want to spill the alcohol all over his clothes, after a good chug he pressed Falco's chest pushing him softly, the avian understood and lowered the bottle.

"Yup, that's enough, I don't want you to finish it all!" now he gave another big gulp from the bottle, Leon took out a handkerchief from a pocket in his trench coat and wiped his mouth.

"That was being a total kid…" he mumbled as he felt slightly lightheaded by the high alcohol amount he drank in such a short time.

"I don't care, I told you, I do what I want, I'm a free spirit!" he laughed and wrapped his free arm around Leon, patting his back and pulling him close. "You need to let go and relax!"

Leon was a bit startled by this but he decided to relax against the other's half embrace, sighing softly.

"Really Falco, you're impossible…"

It was strange, how close they had been when young, how distant yet close they were during battles and now this bizarre moment. Strangely, he didn't feel bothered at all, but he felt actually comfortable, he was a cold blooded creature and the weather was chilly, cold weathers were dangerous for reptiles since they didn't have the ability to generate enough heat to keep themselves warm and were in danger to freeze to death when exposed long times in cold places, so Falco's warmth was quite welcomed by the small chameleon.

"I'm not that impossible, you're the impossible one, I remember when we lived here, I practically had to beg to you to stay the first days" Falco rubbed Leon's back softly, resting his head on the chameleon's head, hand sliding down to Leon's waist. He smelled so fresh, like mint, he lowered his head and sniffed softly on the other's neck, his hand massaging his waist now. Leon sighed softly, throwing his head backwards granting more access to Falco, he was already lightheaded and Falco's touch felt wonderful at the moment. He took his trench coat off, putting it on the floor and scooting closer to Falco, wrapping his arms around him and climbing on him, straddling the avian.

Falco just stared at Leon with half lidded eyes, amazed at the beauty of the petite chameleon and the gorgeousness of his yellow eyes. Leon smiled softly at Falco and massaged his shoulders gently, which made the blue bird shudder and gasp softly. Leon's touch was wonderful, it felt delicious, he was surprised the chameleon could give such an amazing massage so casually. His hands rubbed Leon's sides softly as he leaned closer, their faces mere inches away from each other.

"Mmmm where did you learn to give such amazing massages?" Falco practically purred.

Leon chuckled. "Just one of my 100 hidden talents"

"And which are the other 99?"

"You'll have to find out for yourself" Leon teased rubbing his tail against Falco's back, massaging him as well with it.

"Oh! You can massage with your tail too? I'll have to repay you, somehow" Falco smirked and closed the gap between them, kissing Leon deeply, the chameleon closed his eyes and returned the kiss, sliding his long tongue inside the other's mouth, playing with Falco's tongue and learning every nook and crevice he touched, enjoying every second of it.

Falco broke the kiss when the need for air was dire, as he stared in wonder at the chameleon.

"I think I just discovered another of your hidden talents"

Leon smiled as he stroked Falco's face gently. "Still 98 to go"

Falco chuckled and lied back on the bed, fixing Leon on top of him as he resumed the kissing, hands dancing up and down his rival's sides, back and waist, Leon's hands cupping Falco's face as their tongues played once more.

_Temperature was dropping drastically in those last days, the abandoned apartment where they were staying wasn't exactly comfortable under such circumstances. Falco's feathers were well insulated for any type of weather, so a sweater and a jacket made the trick for him, but it wasn't the same story with reptiles. Leon hadn't come out of his room that day, which made the avian worried._

A small moan escaped from the chameleon's lips, dizziness accompanied by lust filling both of their heads, it had been a while since he felt such a tender touch, he threw his gloves off the bed, boots following them as Falco hurried out of his jacket and boots with difficulty, reluctant to let go of Leon for even a second.

"_Leon, are you all right?" Falco opened the door to the chameleon's room, to find a small bundle on the bed covered by a bunch of sheets and blankets, shivering. He stepped closer and pulled the covers down slowly, Leon was curled up, his tone was pale and some slightly dark lines adorned his face. Chameleon's changed color due to their mood and the temperature, so that would explain, but he didn't look very healthy._

Another kiss, deep, passionate… almost real.

"_Man you look ghostly pale!"_

_Leon blinked and turned to see his friend. "S-sorry…"_

"_No need to apologize! Are you ok?"_

Clothes abandoned on the floor, hands running up and down incredible, light green smooth skin, yellow eyes glowing in the night, vibrant lines adorning Leon's sides, a smirk on Falco's face, knowing very well how the other was reacting to his ministrations.

"_...I'm a cold blooded species...and it's freezing outside...and these blankets are so thin...we don't even have a fire in this place...I must save energy or I might enter a hibernation state from which I could or could not wake up from..."_

"…_whoa slow down! Your species are quite complicated! Chameleons aren't common to see, after all..."_

Words weren't needed anymore, the hands did the talking, their movements almost synchronized in a wanton tango of ecstasy and desire.

_Leon nodded slowly and covered himself with the blankets again. Falco stared at him as he took his jacket off and slid under the blankets as well, pulling Leon close to him, curling besides him._

_Yellow eyes widened as he turned to see the avian. "What are you…?"_

An almost rehearsed crescendo as they lost their senses to pleasure almost at the same time, each other's name escaping from their lips in a silent, longing whisper.

"_I can help, my body is quite warm, so you don't freeze to death"_

_Leon's jaw dropped slightly, as he snuggled closer to his friend and closed his eyes. "...thank you, Falco"_

Leon's eyes fluttered open, it was still very early, probably 5:30 a.m. He rubbed his eyes as he felt a comfortable warmth next to him, kind of familiar. He smiled softly and snuggled against the soft blue feathers on Falco's chest. He sat down on the bed careful not to wake the bird up, his hand stroking his rival's face tenderly. He stood up, looking for his clothes on the floor, everything that happened last night was so surreal, he felt happy yet confused at the same time. Before he could pick his underwear up, he was yanked backwards unto the bed again, two arms wrapping around him.

"I knew you'd wake up very early to disappear and leave me alone in here, I just knew it" Falco sounded almost hurt, it surprised Leon a bit.

"...I didn't want it to be awkward for you"

"Doing that would make it even more awkward, you know...was it that bad you have to run away so eagerly?"

Leon sighed. "No, it wasn't bad...it was amazing, to be honest"

"So?"

"...so what?"

"Why are you leaving like this?"

"Why not?"

"Damn it, Powalski! Why do you have to be so damn difficult all the time?! Always like this, always so secretive, do you regret last night?"

"No, I don't regret it at all, it surpassed my expectations, it was great"

"Your words don't make sense with your actions..."

"They really do"

"How so?"

"…Why are you making such a big deal about this?"

"Why am I making-?! We just...Are you for real?!"

"Lombardi...you're so complicated"

"Oh now I am the complicated one!"

"...and hot headed too"

"So you think I'm an idiot or something?!"

"I never said that"

"But you're demonstrating it with your actions!"

"Falco, what the heck do you mean?"

"You're leaving without waking me up to say goodbye, you think I'm complicated and hot headed, so there you have it!"

"...Is that it?"

"What is it?!"

"You're making a fuss because I was leaving without saying goodbye?"

"...You know what? Forget about it! Just leave already"

"...I guess I wanted to avoid this little scene"

"If you wanted to avoid it, you should have stayed or woken me up"

"Stayed? How long do you want to stay in here? Won't your partners wonder where you are?"

"Even if they would, they wouldn't bother me, oh, so you're returning to Wolf because he may wonder where you are and you'd get in trouble?"

"...what are you implying?"

"You know what I'm implying"

Leon sighed deeply and tried to sit down but Falco's grip was still strong.

"You told me to leave already, but you won't let go"

"So you're returning to him, right?"

"...Falco..."

Falco scoffed and released Leon, turning away and covering his body with the blanket. "Go away"

"Falco…"

"Go away!"

"…fine" Leon stood up and hurried to put his clothes on, Falco turned slightly to see the petite chameleon sliding inside his tight suit, longing in his blue eyes, a heavy feeling on his chest. He looked so beautiful, he felt envy of the blue suit hugging the lithe silhouette. Leon's color was slightly darker, which meant he was upset, that made Falco felt guilty, but he preferred not to say a word.

The chameleon put his black trench coat on, and walked to the door, stopping in front of it.

"Lombardi...we are rivals, don't forget that" he then opened the door and closed it behind him. Falco stared at it for a while before sighing deeply. "We weren't always rivals"


	2. Lightning Encounter

Wolf frowned as he stared at the eerie looking broth in front of him, digging the spoon in the creamy, bubbly brown liquid and bringing it into his mouth, his eyes widened as he threw the spoon at Panther.

"You can't cook for shit!"

"Sorry boss, I'm no chef, but it isn't that bad..."

"Just try it!"

Panther sighed and tried his broth, frowning and swallowing it because he didn't want to spit on the floor. "Augh! I can't cook for shit!"

"Damn it, where's Leon? I'm starving...he usually tells me when he disappears..." Wolf sighed as he walked to the cupboard and took out an instant soup.

"Again this shit...at least is better than your broth"

Panther sighed deeply. He enjoyed nice meals but he wasn't one for cooking at all, unlike Leon. Leon had superior cooking abilities, for some odd reason, his food was comparable to those found at the best restaurants in Corneria.

The familiar sound of the opening hangar was music to both the wolf and panther's ears as they announced their partner's arrival…and food arrival. Wolf hurried to the hangar and smirked as he saw the spaceship parking next to his. The cockpit opened and Leon jumped down, yellow eyes staring at the violet eye as he smirked at his friend.

"Missed me?"

"You have no idea how much"

"I think I do"

"No really, you don't, Panther's cooking sucks...and I'm bad at it too"

"Oh that sounds serious now, mmm maybe I should disappear again, maybe I'm not in the mood for cooking"

"Oh, really?" Wolf chuckled and approached Leon, wrapping his arms around the small chameleon and pulling him close. "What if it's an order from your boss?"

"Maybe I'm feeling rebellious"

"So, you want to be punished that badly?" Wolf grinned widely, holding Leon's chin with his hand gently and lifting his head up softly, leaning over him, their faces mere inches away. "Do you know how badly I'd punish you?"

Leon smirked. "No I don't, why don't you show me, boss?"

Panther cleared his throat. "Excuse me...but if you guys start playing around, we'll never get to eat anything...and I'm starving"

Wolf grumbled softly. "Damn it, do you think it's correct to interrupt us like this, Panther?"

"It's fine, I feel like cooking now" Leon smiled and walked away towards the kitchen. Panther smiled "Finally real food!" he followed Leon, ears twitching slightly.

"That cologne you're wearing, haven't smelled it before, it's cool"

"Uh? Cologne...oh, that's because this is not mine"

"Not yours?"

"Nope" Leon smiled and winked at Panther who looked at him in confusion and then blushed.

"O-oh..." the feline rubbed the back of his head, not wanting to ask further questions, since he respected Wolf's right hand, and knew they trusted and respected each other as well.

Leon smiled at him as he headed to the refrigerator and pulled out vegetables, then spices and meat.

"I dislike meat, but you two are carnivores so it can't be helped" Leon shrugged as he put on his cooking gloves. "Get out of my kitchen, I'll be done in half an hour"

Panther nodded and strolled out. One time Wolf and Panther had tried to help Leon out in the kitchen, but they made a royal mess and the stove got caught on fire, Leon had been so angry and bought a new stove, but he didn't like the two carnivores near his cooking gear. The feline didn't understand how Leon could be a ruthless assassin yet be a vegetarian.

Half an hour later as Leon had said, he walked out of the kitchen, gloves on, carrying a plate with grilled steak with vegetables, putting it on the table. He walked inside the kitchen and took a plate of mashed potatoes putting it besides the other one.

"I'm done!" he called his team mates as Wolf and Panther entered, staring lustfully at the great smelling food. Wolf pulled Leon close and nuzzled him. "You're a life savior, now be a dear and bring us some beer"

Leon scoffed and strolled to the kitchen, carrying the beverages.

"Anything else, your highness?"

"No, I'm quite pleased" Wolf winked at him and chuckled.

"Good, I need a bath, enjoy" Leon winked at them and walked out of the dining room to his quarters. Panther tried the meal and purred softly.

"He's an amazing cook...wonder why he didn't stay to eat with us though"

"I bet he's not hungry" Wolf shrugged and dug in his plate, while Panther pondered a bit more on Leon. Since he joined the team, the chameleon had been a mystery, the first month he barely talked to him, but started opening up slowly. Still, he never talked about himself nor his past, but the feline didn't dare ask further. His train of thought stopped when he tried the delicious dinner and ate as if he hadn't eaten in a week.

Leon stepped into his room, closing the door gently behind him. It was true, Falco's cologne still lingered on him, it had a slightly strong scent, robust and manly, it was quite comforting and Leon wondered if his decision had been the best, doubting about his actions probably for the first time in his life. He walked to the bathroom, and drew a bath, he needed a nice, long moment in the warm tub for himself. He took his clothes off, a lone, small blue feather had snuck in his trench coat and fell graciously to the floor. Leon stared at it for a while as he picked it up and sank in the warm water, closing his eyes and sighing softly, he twirled the feather slowly, the vibrant blue color stood out in the black and white room.

"_Are you really leaving?" Falco sighed exasperatedly and placed his hands on his hips, eyeing Leon._

"_I feel better now, I should go, thank you for everything though I have no ways to pay you yet"_

"_I don't need payment, I'm fine...but don't leave"_

"_...why?"_

"_Stay here"_

"_Why would you want me to stay here? I've nothing to offer"_

"_I like your company, Leon, it's comforting, plus I live alone, we've got more chances on surviving together, don't you think?"_

_Leon crossed his arms and sighed softly. "You're so stubborn, Falco"_

_Falco smiled widely. "You have no idea!"_

Leon opened his eyes, staring at the feather, smiling slightly as he put it away and continued his bath. He was done after a while and decided to get ready for his next solo mission. He dressed in a thick black leather complete suit, with a utility belt full of his favorite 'toys' as he'd call them, and his hidden knives all around the suit as well. He put on his coat, tucking the feather in his chest pocket for good luck. He put on his gloves and walked out to the kitchen, were Wolf and Panther were still eating and chatting.

"Boys, I'll be back in a week, don't blow anything up while mommy's out" he winked at them as he walked to the hangar. Wolf stood up and followed him, while Panther wished him good luck from his place.

Leon stopped walking, aware of Wolf's presence and waited for the lupine to catch up to him, probably he had something important to say.

"Leon, we have a mission in two weeks, it's a loaded client so this will be fun"

"Understood, I'll be back as soon as possible to help with the preparations, Wolf"

Wolf smiled. "I know you will"

Leon returned the smile. "I've got to go now, see you then"

Wolf grabbed Leon's wrist and pulled him into a hug, nuzzling the smaller man, Leon returned the hug and rubbed the lupine's back.

"I'll be fine" he whispered

"Something looks as if it's troubling you, you seem a bit out of it, it's unlike you, you're thinking on something and I'm a bit worried. You know I never meddle in your affairs, I just want you to know I'm here for you and that I'll be waiting for your return, my dear friend"

Leon's eyes widened slightly and he nuzzled Wolf's chest. "I promise I'll be all right. I'll tell you all about it when I return"

"You don't have to..."

"I know, but I want to"

"All right then, Leon"

"I left the specs of my mission on your room, if you were wondering" the chameleon smiled as he separated from Wolf and continued his way. "See you"

Wolf grinned. "Don't dare get injured, we have an oncoming mission!"

Leon waved his hand in acknowledgement as he walked to his ship, Rainbow Delta. He rubbed his hand over the fuselage, smiling softly.

"Missed you baby, that Cornerian fighter isn't half as good as you" he hopped into his seat and closed the cockpit, turning on the engine. The soft humming was music to his ears, as the hangar's door opened and he took off in an instant. There was something magical about flying in the vastness of space, he would never get tired of it, it would never get old. He leaned back and closed his eyes, it was quite a way for his destination, plus his client was about to call him anytime soon. He took the blue feather out of his pocket and twirled it between his thumb and index finger, staring at it intently, until his business cellphone rang, putting it back and answering the call.

"Mr. Teller"

"Greetings, Mr. Powalski, I got new information on the mission. Casper Johnson, your target, has lost a valuable piece of his novel reactor, this piece is very important, without it the reactor is just a giant heap of fancy materials...it has fallen in the same planet where this reactor is"

"Macbeth..." Leon tapped his finger softly on his knee, in thought.

"Yes, it has an interesting lock system, it reads a biosignature for the first person that touches it, after that has been established, it would be impossible for anyone else to handle it, since it can give really great electrical discharges...that's all the information I've got for now, hope it'll be of use"

"Understood, I'll call back when the mission is over, Mr. Teller" he hung up and crossed his arms in thought. If he found this piece, getting to Johnson would be the easiest task in the world. He liked thrill in his missions, but he wanted to finish it as quick as possible to help Wolf in the preparations for their next big mission. He needed a good distraction, anyways.

The vulpine stretched on his seat and yawned softly, reading their newest mission: to find a missing piece of a reactor in Macbeth and take care of the space front of the Alianza company, since some space pirates were giving them quite a hard time.

"Ok, so three of us will stay on air while one of us go down to look for that missing reactor piece…Krystal and I will take the space front" he quickly stated.

"I'll take the air anytime!" Falco scoffed as Slippy crossed his arms.

"I won't let you decide that so casually! Let's all draw straws, the one with the shorter one gets the boring mission on the ground!"

"Drop it, Slip, you'll lose, eventually" Falco teased, putting his hands on his hips.

"Geez Falco, I don't know where you disappeared to yesterday, but whatever happened to you surely got you in a really bad mood!" Slippy stated, just provoking the blue bird further.

Falco frowned noticeably and clenched his hands into fists. "None of your damn business!" he growled.

"Well, it's true...you know we're friends so if you need to talk..." Fox started but Falco scoffed loudly.

"You worry about your own hide! Whatever, I'll take the damn ground!" and with that he stomped out of the room to the hangar, wanting to get away from further unwanted questions. The images were fresh in his mind, Leon's sounds, glowing skin, shinning eyes...it all seemed a dream. But the morning conversation still stung him, he was angry, sad and very confused at the same time. He should have never accepted to go back to that apartment, he should have never drank so much, he should have never stared at Leon's gorgeous yellow eyes full of longing and melancholy, he should have never touched the softest, smoothest skin of all, he should have never tried to revive long forgotten moments...

Falco growled again, those images vivid, haunting, intoxicating. He also needed a good distraction. He jumped into his Arwing, turning on the engine and getting everything set, when Peppy's voice came through the intercom.

"Falco? I already sent you the description of the mission and the artifact you'll be looking for, you've got to be really careful, once it has been locked, no one but the user can handle it, or it will throw an immense discharge, I doubt anyone could escape alive from it..."

"Roger, on my way"

"Be careful, lad"

"Yeah, yeah..." Falco turned off the com before Peppy could say anything more; he needed a moment of silence for a while.

His flight to Macbeth was quite peaceful and without trouble, since the air battle was on the other side of the planet. Plus his radar detected the radiation signal from the object, so it was going to be an easy ride. He finally landed in an open field, where the radar started beeping softly. The piece was around 3 kilometers inwards the land, apparently. Before he could jump out of his Arwing, a bolt landed not 10 meters away from him, one of the Macbethian famous thuderstorms was unfolding right before him.

"Amazing! Just what I needed! Fan-fucking-tastic!" Falco scoffed and decided to wait until the storm had ended to continue his journey.

By the time Falco had gotten there, the chameleon had already found the missing piece, handling it carefully and trying to unlock and program it so that it recognized him as its user. It had taken him 20 minutes to get past the firewalls and all the coding, but he finally did it, the metallic sphere shinning a green bright color.

'New user identified'

Leon sighed deeply, technology wasn't his strong side, after all, he did his best to know the basics and some tricks necessary for any good mercenary, but he was better at science and medicine, way better. He put the orb on a black satchel he was carrying and decided to walk out of the wild as soon as possible, thunderstorms in Macbeth were very common and it seemed this thing attracted lightning. As he hurried, his premonition became true when a lightning bolt struck the satchel, thankfully his attire connected well with the ground giving good insulation so the impact wasn't life threatening but it did send him down, unconscious.

It was over in ten minutes, it had seemed an eternity to Falco nonetheless as he jumped out of his ship and ran to the direction marked.

Falco's radar began beeping louder, meaning he was close to his target. His blue eyes fixed in what seemed like a small grove, it was weird to find such a sight in Macbeth, but he noticed a trail of smoke from some of the trees, maybe the piece attracted some lightning during the thunderstorm, which was over, hopefully. He hurried to the place and was taken aback by the sight: someone was lying in the middle of the grove, apparently unconscious.

"Hey! You there! Are you ok?!" Falco hurried and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the peculiar yet familiar curly chameleon tail, mint green color and familiar trench coat. His jaw dropped as he went on his knees and pulled Leon close, shaking him to wake him up.

"Leon?! Hey! Wake up!" his anger was momentarily forgotten as he grew worried for the reptile, had a thunder bolt struck him? What was he doing in that place? Was he even alive?

Falco checked Leon's pulse, feeling relief when he felt the beating, his body seemed all right, it didn't look burnt, at least externally. He stroked Leon's face gently without really noticing that he was doing it, unbuttoning the top part of his coat to make sure the chameleon wasn't badly hurt, that's when a small blue feather slid from the upper pocket, Falco's eyes widened recognizing immediately that feather as his. Why would Leon keep his feather with him like this?

Interrupting his train of thought, Falco was shoved backwards by Leon's tail and the reptile was over him, straddling him with a survival knife pressed against his throat.

"Agh! You're fast..." Falco whispered as Leon softened the grip.

"Lombardi...what are you doing here?"

Falco eyed the sharp knife and frowned "Put that thing away, I'm on a mission"

"About?"

"...get off me first!"

Leon released Falco, sitting beside him as the avian coughed for air. "Geez, was it necessary to hit my throat?!"

"It's part of the defensive technique, Falco, very useful too" Leon sheathed his knife on the holster on his thigh, as Falco raised in a sitting position and crossed his legs. "Man, what were you doing passed out in the middle of nowhere? That's unlike 'The Great Leon'"

Leon scoffed and crossed his arms. "Had some lightning troubles, no big deal"

Falco smirked, knowing he had hit the spot. "Really? Because you looked like you were in a real pinch..."

"I told you, it was nothing, drop it already"

"No really, you looked so not dangerous lying in the middle of a grove, unconscious, fairy tale like"

Leon just glared at Falco using his evil-eye technique, which sent shivers down the bird's spine, but he would never admit it, it was rare when his insults actually bothered Leon, and even though he was confused about last night events, he was still cocky and prideful and was quite enjoying the moment.

"What, did that tick you off?" Falco grinned and Leon pounced at him at bolt-like speed, straddling him again and pressing the knife once more against Falco's throat.

"You're begging to be tortured, annoying bird, now I'll repeat myself for the last time, what is this mission of yours about?"

Falco stayed silent, staring at Leon's eyes, trying hard not to remember that other side of the chameleon he had been able to see last night...maybe it had been all a weird dream...now they were back to their old rivalry fighting, as always. He was almost convinced it had been just his imagination when he saw the blue feather poking out of Leon's pocket.

"Well? Cat got your tongue?!" Leon pressed the knife slightly, careful not to pierce the skin…yet.

Falco smirked. "I very much preferred when you were straddling me without those heavy clothes on, Leon"

Leon's jaw opened slightly, it had caught him off guard, so Falco took advantage of it grabbing Leon's wrist with one hand and pushing himself and Leon up with his legs, this surprised the chameleon, even if he didn't really weigh much, that action needed a lot of core strength, and Falco did have that to his advantage.

Now Falco fell on top of Leon, holding down Leon's arm with all his strength, since Leon was pushing his arm up, probably aiming to strike his back with the knife, and he wasn't going to let that happen anytime soon.

"But I like it way better when you're under me" Falco purred, enjoying Leon's shocked eyes, getting a little revenge in a Powalski way.

"...Falco...you moron"

"Trying to act all mighty with me? I don't think so"

Leon smiled gently for the first time, now it was Falco's turn to be thrown off guard, cheeks flushing red.

"Maybe I should act all nice with you, then?" Leon purred, stopping the struggle with his arm, letting Falco pin his arms down, stroking Falco's face with his tail. "Is that what mighty Falco Lombardi wishes?"

'Damn, cunning as a damn snake' Falco thought, trying his best not to fall in the reptile's trap.

"Enough games, what are you doing here, Leon?" Falco's voice was serious now and Leon blinked and chuckled.

"Oh? I thought you wanted to play"

"Answer me!" he clenched his grip on the small wrists hardly, but Leon's expression remained the same.

"I bet they sent you for the sphere of the reactor, didn't they, big boy?" Leon purred, Falco's eyes widened and then narrowed at him.

"Touché" Leon grinned as Falco tightened the grip even more, his fingers starting to tingle from going numb, making him wince slightly.

"Stop your games and tell me what you're up to!" he growled.

Leon thought on getting his knife from the holster with his tail and stabbing the cocky bird, but then again, being Falco's prisoner could actually work to his advantage in more than one way, so he decided to act into it.

"Falco, you're hurting me...stop it"

"As if"

"...Yes I was assigned to get that orb, it's in my satchel...however..."

"However?!"

"I'm the registered user, try touching it and you'll probably die"

Falco released Leon's wrist in a quick movement to grab his blaster and pressed it against Leon's head.

"Then it seems you're coming with me"

"…I don't think so!" Leon kicked Falco off him and grabbed his knife, throwing it at Falco, who managed to evade it by a feather.

"Son of a...!" Falco shot his blaster at Leon and hit a leg.

"Whoa, your aim is better down here than when we're fighting in the air!" Leon grinned, limping slightly, he could fight back and have an even match, he also could have evaded the hit, but he needed Falco to feel safe, and it probably would take him to get more damaged...something in his head told him Wolf wouldn't be happy about this at all...

Falco approached him, blaster up. "Give up already!"

"Never" Leon took two more knives hiding in his sleeves and started attacking Falco, it surprised the bird how fast Leon could move even If he was hurt, but his leg did provide quite a con to his technique and Falco managed to land a hard blow on Leon's stomach, sending him to the floor.

Leon hissed in pain, maybe that was enough to convince Falco he was really out for good...he sure hoped so, as that hit hadn't been merciful at all.

The chameleon struggled to stand up, spitting some blood aside and preparing his knives once more, maybe a bit more...

"You want some rougher loving?!" Falco growled as he pounced at Leon once again, he received two superficial cuts on his arms but hit Leon's head hard with the back of his gun, the smaller man plummeting to the floor.

"Agh! Damn it Lombardi…" Leon bit his lower lip as some blood dripped down from his head, he knew it was superficial but heads were quite scandalous when they bled, apparently.

Falco secured some handcuffs on the chameleon's wrists. "Better now, you should've just come along in the first place, stubborn bastard"

"Bite me"

"With pleasure...maybe after the mission is done" Falco smirked and Leon scoffed slightly and muttered things in his native tongue along the lines of 'stupid horny jerks' and 'birds are always the biggest douchebags'.

"What was that?" Falco raised an eyebrow and pulled Leon closer, who stumbled slightly and bumped on Falco's chest. "I didn't hear what you were saying..."

"Stupid jerk" Leon tried getting away but Falco held him in place, inspecting the wound on his head.

"Does it hurt too much?..."

"Why would you care?"

"Idiot, you fucking know I do care, I didn't want to hurt you, but you left me no option..."

"Well you better change that mentality because I'd hurt you if I could"

"I know, you psychopath…hold still" he took a first aid spray from his holster and sprayed it on Leon's head wound. "It'll help it not to get infected...now your leg..."

"Why do you bother? You just want me to hand that thing and throw me to rot in jail, don't you, Falco?"

"No, I don't want that, Powalski, not at all..." he sprayed Leon's leg as well, the wound was deeper but nothing permanently serious.

"My ship is nearby, so let's hurry" Falco finished, putting the canister away as they walked, but Leon could hardly keep the pace with Falco, not only because the bird was a good head and a half taller than Leon, but also because of the constant limping of the reptile.

Falco sighed and without advice swept Leon off his feet, carrying him bridal style, Leon gasped at this action and stared at Falco, who was clearly avoiding his gaze.

"Put me down, Falco, I can walk..."

"Like hell you can, we'll get there in a month if I let you walk"

"You're exaggerating...put me down now"

"That won't happen, anyways, my Arwing is close and it's a one seat ship so we'll be cramped in there for a good half an hour, so you'd better get used to it"

Leon sighed and rested his head against Falco's chest, enjoying once again the warmth emanated by the soft feathers, Falco didn't bother looking at him but couldn't hide his flushed face as they headed to the ship.


End file.
